


Hanahaki Crisis

by LentoInk



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Game Spoilers - Traitor Reveal, Japanese flower language, M/M, Severe Pining, blood mention, hanahaki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-05 20:02:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11020560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LentoInk/pseuds/LentoInk
Summary: When Yusuke leaves the white lilies climb up his throat to keep Akira company. Some people hate hanahaki for its pain and cruel nature, but he's not one of them.He never blames the flowers for trying to fill the void in his chest, because his heart leaves with the one he loves. He never blames Yusuke for not noticing or being oblivious; he loves him despite the pain. Akira would rather take his time, but he's forced to do something when his hanahaki puts his friends in danger.





	Hanahaki Crisis

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you to the four of you who read this in its early stage! I'm still happy about hearing you guys liking the story. You gave me some courage and confidence to make me feel proud and 'Hanahaki Crisis' well deserved that feeling. It's been a while since I've written anything decent, so I hope people who decide to try reading this enjoy.

The first hanahaki petal slips from his mind at the time, but Akira remembers that first pang of longing.

It was raining that day. They were spending time together in the afternoon until evening. When his friend had to go he suggested walking them to the train station. His offer was declined with a soft smile, yet Akira didn’t move from the doorway as he watched them leaving Leblanc.

Next time it would be the sight of their back walking away again that triggered the feeling of longing, a lump in his throat.

Akira’s coughs were aggressive until the thing tickling his throat was gone.

“Must be the cold air today,” he thinks. Something catches his eye when he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. A single white petal. That was explained away by his part time job. Akira would look back at that moment wondering if things would have turned out differently if he noticed sooner. If he should have changed something that could make the condition less severe down the road.

But no, that wasn’t how love works. He would have died from the disease sooner. Ignorance is bliss and a blessing at first.

“Akira! Don’t just stand there! Wash your hands and come help out!” Sojiro barked.

He closes the café door and the petal falls. It lands into the street where it gets wet in the rain.

 

* * *

 

Akira wasn’t blind to patterns. He notices more often than not how when he thinks about a certain someone there’s a lump in his throat. The feelings in his heart reach out to something, _or someone_ , that wasn’t there. Maybe he’s coming down with cold, or maybe it’s an allergy somehow clinging on his clothes. Akira’s mind wanders, lets his feelings fester, and the answer comes to bloom in front of him. A whole head of a white lily sits in his hands after a nasty coughing fit, and Akira shudders wondering about his cursed luck.

Something extremely bad would happen to him, but it was followed quick enough by that ray of luck. Time was on his side since the only potential witness was out for a walk. Akira sat in the room wondering what to do with the flower before getting an idea.

He cleans the white lily head with water and decides to press it with some weights for drying. It would be a waste to throw the flower away. Akira smiled as he thumbs a clean petal.

“Beautiful.”

* * *

 

White lilies are his favorite flower. Some people with the disease grew to hate floras from their experience, but Akira never could. If anything, he appreciated their beauty more and read about flowers and their hidden meanings.

Dr. Tae Takemi doesn’t believe him when he tells her about it. All it takes is one thought, about the stars in his eyes and the smile on those lips he wanted to kiss, and he pridefully shows her a single full flower.

She gapes at the spectacle before putting on some gloves and rinsing the flower to clean it.

“Hanahaki,” she diagnosed while drumming her fingers, “Why go to a doctor now? Considering surgery recommendations?”

Akira smiled at the doctor as his voice turned gentle, “I could never get rid of them, not willingly.”

“I had my suspicions. People in this stage have a low rate of getting one, so you’re here for something else I bet,” the wise spark in her eyes flickered with her smile of amusement.

“I need medicine for it obviously,” he rubs at his throat, “I also need a way to hide it.”

“Alright,” Takemi wasn’t one for drawing out deals, “but as a licensed doctor I have to tell you this stuff I know and follow through the procedure. Laws you know? I’ll also be taking this. It should prove fruitful to medical research if studied further.”

Akira nodded, “I don’t mind.”

“It’s a beautiful white lily,” she complimented.

He looks at the flower and thinks of how it doesn’t compare to the person synonymous with it. Akira coughs out a flower head and a full flower.

She calls him a fool while laughing. He’s really obvious about it.

 

* * *

 

Akira is obvious, but not obvious enough for his unrequited crush to catch it.

With Takemi’s help he makes up a good excuse to everyone and explains why he’s been looking pale and sicker. The real answer to that question was confined to the clinic. Proof of his disease sat as a bouquet of white lilies in a vase of water. She was good professional support, so even with his hanahaki Akira pushes through to help Takemi with her original medicine. It was the least he could do to pay her back.

He’s been doing his homework too. Survivors and current hanahaki bearers post their advice on online forums. When Akira’s standing in the doorway this time he gets away with a cough. He’ll later vomit out the rest just as practiced.

Stretch out that warm feeling and hold it close. It was easy enough wearing a mask to your feelings, so it should be easy to slow hanahaki by being a trickster, something Akira excelled at.

However, one problem any great trickster faces were the sharp eyes of anyone smart enough to catch onto their schemes. He had to lay low around those people, especially with Goro Akechi sitting at Leblanc’s counter.

“You have a petal on your apron Kurusu,” the detective pointed out.

His hands froze and shoulders stiffened. Keep moving and don’t hesitate… draw it out until he’s gone. Akira walked behind the counter and washed his hands.

“Thanks,” he brushes off the petal that slipped from his cough. Was his back turned enough? Did he see it?

“Must be from this vase of flowers. It’s a nice addition to the place, compliments it,” Akechi spoke as if he knew the bouquet was a decoy. Or was his mind playing tricks on him instead?

“Stay calm,” he thought to himself as Akira’s throat tightened. Think about the compliment _his crush_ gave those flowers when they came over for a visit. The flutter that brought warmth in his chest at having his manifested love being called beautiful.

“White lilies… Tall, elegant, and an air of purity to them. It matches well with the painting over there. Where do you get them?” he inquired.

“I work at a flower shop,” he explained, “It’s an idea of mine to help the boss out. Draw in customers.”

“It must work. I watch that friend of yours leaving Leblanc more often these days when I stop by,” Akechi paused to drink his coffee, “Is there something wrong? You keep rubbing your rib cage there.”

On purpose or not Akira was staring at an old decaying bridge. A false move and he would be swimming in the rapids below.

“A medical condition I had for a while,” he picked up a cup and dried it, “Asthma.”

“I see, does it hinder you a lot?”

“I try not to let it but,” he examined the cup and placed it down, “It’s out of my control, and even if my friends try to help there’s not a cure yet. They blame themselves when it’s not their fault. I’m just a weak fighter against this disease I live with.”

“Letting yourself be exposed as weak,” Akechi chuckles, “You’re definitely not Phantom Thief material, Kurusu.”

“You’re going to go on about that here?” he lifted an eyebrow, “We have customers sitting at the booths over there, remember?”

“Well it _is_ my job to bring down the hammer on the Phantom Thieves,” the detective laughed.

The doorbell chimed and Sojiro could have been a saint, “I’m back. Thanks for watching the store Akira.”

“No problem, boss.”

“Nice to see you there Sakura-san,” Akechi waved and picked up his bag, “I was just leaving.”

“Feel free to visit,” he waved off. The unspoken ‘or never come back’ had Akira stifle a snort. Usually he was more hospitable to Akechi, but with sensitive information on the line he couldn’t blame himself for feeling hostile after being indirectly attacked.

“Oh! I never noticed the tag on the painting’s frame!” the detective brushed off, “How embarrassing, I’m quite prideful of my skills at noticing smaller details. The _Sayuri_ … Hm, so it shares a name with the orange lily. Maybe there’s a hidden joke between this and the white lilies on the counter.”

Sojiro’s brow twitched, “You-!”

“A pun!” Goro clarified with a clap of his hands, “I meant no offense! Akira there took my payment ahead of time. Have a nice day.”

The door closed again and Sojiro scowled, “That kid gets on my nerves, how do you put up with him?”

Akira shrugged but there was a tightened edge to his jaw. A _joke?_ Anger boiled through his veins. The _Sayuri_ was- he ground down on his teeth when he was clapped on the back. There was still another problem to take care of, Akira needed to leave. He was told he could stop there so he took off his apron and went upstairs to grab his keys.

“Heading out,” he murmured while biting a cough, “Morgana went out and I left him food upstairs.”

“Sure,” Sojiro paused, “Go visit a doctor, you’re looking pale again. Geez, those _parents_ of yours should have mentioned your asthma. It could have been bad if it got too serious.”

The corner of his mouth quirked upwards. He only shrugged in passing then walked down the tiny alleyway. Once he crossed the busier one Akira bolted for the last steps of the clinic. A beg whimpering from his mouth hoping there was no one inside as he slammed the door open. When he leaned against the door the doctor was flying out of her seat and rushing towards him. There were already several flowers pushing past his lips and blood coloring them.  They never stained the pure white of the petals…

“Trash can!” their actions were experienced, an unspoken procedure.  Akira fell on his knees with a bucket shoved into his face. The scent of flowers and blood close to his nose as he hurled.

He made it across the bridge, but just by a jump.

Akira was gasping for air with a torn-up throat, and the danger was now behind him, blinding him with relief. He never saw the person standing over his head with a weapon in their hand.

Death stood close to him on the other side of the riverbank, but twisted justice would be his downfall.

 

* * *

 

Akechi's the traitor. They take out those smaller Personas and their former teammate starts talking.

He knew those pawns of his wouldn't beat them, the Phantom Thieves outsmarted him after all. He'll take the satisfaction of killing Joker with his own two hands. Then a sick, twisted smile on his face shows up and comments.

"Or maybe not. After all, it would be fun to watch a pathetic person like you writhe in agony. _Shirayuri_ choker."

"White lilies?" one of his teammates ask.

"Joker what does he-"

Akira turns just as white as the flowers growing within him. Here of all places, where he felt stable and composed as a different part of himself, Joker, that information was going to be used against him. Akechi knew, he wasn’t blind, unlike Akira who realized too late that the upcoming betrayal was bound to happen as there was no stopping it.

That twisted smirks grows, and his blood runs colder. Akira places a hand on his chest, right above his rib cage, and he can feel a cough bubbling up along with something else.

"To think you would met your demise in such a way. You'll die all because of your own weak heart-"

"You're wrong! Joker's heart is stronger than anyone's!” Morgana interrupts, “He's our leader and he-!"

"You fools think I'm rattling on about Personas? You're all slower than I thought. Joker won't die from battle, but from his _hanahaki_ disease."

Collectively, they all freeze, and silently his teammates go, "What...?"

"A rare disease these days. I've never _witnessed_ it before but it was amusing to watch one unfold before me. How pathetic, and I truly expected much more out of you Joker."

"No, it can't be true!"

"Haven't you seen the petals or flowers?"

"He- he works at a flower shop!" Morgana kept defending him.

"The sudden weakened condition? The coughing?"

"A-asthma... his asthma came back. T-the clinic doctor confirmed it..."

Akechi laughs even harder, "Oh how they'll easily believe you. Well trained on your part-."

" _SHUT UP!_ " Akira rasps, summons Arsene to his side, and his eyes are filled with rage and frustration.

"How long has it been? Weeks? Months even?"

He coughs. A petal flies out of his mouth and for a minute his persona flickers.

"Bound to be severe given by the looks you devote for that special someone of yours."

"Joker!" his teammates all watch in horror as he coughs up a full fresh white lily, stem and all.

"Why did you hide this from us?"

" _No one_ caught it? You call these dim-witted fools your allies?" Akechi laughs, "It doesn't take a genius to figure it out. I guess that makes the person you long for even more of an imbecile."

"Don't you dare," Akira hissed, the lack of air has him light headed and he's twisting a fist into his clothes, " _Insult him_.”

"Oh! A him? Hm, if I recall this "him" of yours is constantly by your side, yet never notices those disgusting puppy love looks of yours. It’s only fitting."

Akira keeps coughing. More petals fall from his lips and Ryuji rushes forward.

"Ryuji!" Ann shouts.

"Stop talking you bastard!" he's wielding his club but Robin Hood knocks him back.

"It's all vile, even you, and he must think so as well. That's why _he_ won't _ever_ love you back." those words send Akira to his knees as he doubles over vomiting out more lilies. There's blood on some of them and tears stinging in his eyes.

"He... would never think that..." he countered.

"Truth or not, the fact that your case is so severe points out one thing. He simply doesn't care about _you_. You're not his taste, never will be, and as lucky as you are, Joker, your luck's run out! You fell in love with someone who will _never_ return those feelings of yours!"

Robin Hood readies an attack, Futaba screams at them to defend their leader. Someone is at his side as Akira's vision blurs together. All he can see is the cloudy white of the lilies he carries inside of him and the watery lines of red spilled onto the floor.

"That... doesn't... matter," he croaks.

"Oh, _really?_ " everyone is sent flying back for a moment from the sheer volume of power. Futaba and Morgana may be their skilled navigators, but they don’t have the natural talent of making quick judgments. The Phantom Thieves are falling apart at the seams...

"You say that yet all the evidence is there! _You love him, but he doesn't love you!_ Face the facts!"

"Akira! Don't _listen!_ "

“It’s a miracle you don’t hate him for it, but the irony makes this all laughable! How could you ever hate the person you long so much for when you’re willing to risk death with your love for them in your throat? It’s so illogical yet that’s the punchline isn’t it? Unrequited love!”

The flowers burn and tear inside his throat. They reopen both fresh and healing wounds making the gashes larger. Despite the pain he still finds them beautiful. He’s right. Akira could never bring himself to hate flowers or the disease. They remind him of something precious. The white lily was _his_ flower.

Akira’s favorite…

" _This_ will be your downfall Joker, your hubris! Willing to die, and to hang onto the hope that he'll ever love you back when the answer is already clear!"

His head is pounding, he's grasping for air and the lilies come in droves to slowly clog his throat.

He shouldn't listen... he shouldn't and yet everything Akechi is saying keeps ringing in his ears. Those words are the ones that come into his head when he stares at that back, watching them walking away from Leblanc leaving Akira empty. His lungs and chest are full of petals, stems, and blooming white lilies but he feels _so cold_ and empty when he leaves...

“ _I love you...._ ” the words come easy to his head, but when he looks up to see a blurred mask swimming into his line of sight they stay clogged in his throat. “ _I love you so much..._ ”

His chest squeezes as if a flower has wrapped around his beating heart, fills it with both pain and longing. _Cough!_ The petals fly as if bursting from a cannon.

"DAMN IT!" Ryuji curses and stomps over he's pulling Akira up by the collar, "DUDE! WHY?"

"Ryuji! Don't you _dare!_ " Yusuke snaps.

"WE'RE YOUR FUCKING FRIENDS- WHY DON'T YOU TRUST US?! WE WOULD HAVE HELPED!"

All he gets is flowers flying in his face and a smatter of blood on his mask as an answer. Ryuji yelps and drops Akira who's caught in a pair of ready arms, weak and limp. His friend is wiping at his face and fortunate enough not to get any blood in his eyes.

For Akira, it’s all misfortune now. The artist’s familiar grip around his frame tightens as he’s brought closer to the ground. His luck is running out. Black spots dance in his vision as the tones of Yusuke's voice yell at their teammate for doing something-

"SO CARELESS! Akira's already suffering enough! Why did you put him through MORE?" he hisses.

“ _Yusuke..._ ” his thoughts whine, “ _Yusuke. Please...._ ”

Akechi laughs, having the time of his life as he watches Joker's fade in front of his friends. Makoto is the one to start the next charge.

"Feel my _RAGE!_ " her temper blinds her and it's a miss. Ann tries to follow up but the traitor dodges.

"Joker... Akira... why?" he hears Morgana's small voice. His head limps to the side as tears drip freely from his face. Ryuji has joined the fray to defend their leader with Haru, Ann, and Makoto. Futaba trying her hardest to make do with her skills to fill in their leader’s place. Morgana is with him. Yusuke holds him in his hands.

"Don't look so sad..." he manages a pathetic smirk, voice horse, and his fingertips tap the side of the soft round head, "I put myself in this place..."

"Why say no to surgery? I don't get it Joker..." Morgana looks like he might cry too.

Weak... so weak. He's weak for his team. He doesn't have the strength to fight this battle of both their current threat to his friends and the personal inner turmoil. He's so weak, and he let himself drown in the feeling of longing, yet as Akira looks up and sees those eyes he wouldn't give up this love even if the world did need him.

Air barely manages to pass through his throat, but the words never make it past the fortress of flowers.

“ _I love you Yusuke...._ ” Akira keeps thinking, trying his best to stay conscious, trying his best to keep stalling death creeping just inside his throat. "I love you _so much_ I could cry again."

Not because of the pain from his disease, but from the way the stars in Yusuke's eyes grow dimmer.

"Akira.... A-A-Akira hang on. Please d-don't," Yusuke's voice is unusual, strangled. He shouldn't sound like that, he should be happy... "Akira! Live! _Please!_ "

" _I would_ ," his inner voice whispers, " _I would live thousands of lives for you as long as you loved me Yusuke. I love you- I Love You... I LOVE... **you**_."

"NNN!" he jolts and curls.

"Put him on his side or he'll drown on the flowers and blood!"

A fresh wave spills out and his throat is left scratched, marked, torn. Maybe it's all true. Maybe he does look repulsive in Yusuke’s eyes. He must look so disgusting...

Tears, snot, blood... broken- crushed lilies, and a stubbornness to cling onto his feelings to the point of walking the fine line of death.

"Oh, so _sad!_ " Akechi mocks. Maniacal laughter echoes through the whole place. "Ah, those tears are just _lovely_ don’t you think? Look at the _great_ Phantom Thieves! Wallowing in sadness and pity because their leader never trusted them. Never asked for their help!"

"It wouldn't have matter anyway nimrods! _He_ doesn't love you Akira! Never will! You'll die a pathetic death Joker and give me the sweetest victory of having beaten you without raising a single hand! You’re all pathetic trash! DIE!"

"What the _HELL_ do we do?!" Futaba screeches.

"Get him to say a name! Akira just say his name! We'll help you!" Haru speaks up, her grip tightens on her axe as she swings forward, "Even if they won't return your love- everyone in this team has something in common! We all _love **you!**_ "

_“Haru... Futaba...”_

"Take your time bro! We'll deal with Akechi for now! This bastard is getting the beat down of his life! Don't worry about this and leave it to us!"

_"Ryuji..."_

"You fools don't know enough about anything or this disease! He'll _never say_ whose name it is! The flowers are proof enough- the disease poisons you with longing! Those vines and branches will claw at you… make you bleed out! I had the _strength_ to remove them years ago. Face the truth Phantom Thieves… your pathetic leader will die because he's below that!"

"Shut. The. HELL. _UP!_ ” Ann shouts. A crack of the whip broke through his voice and a blaze of fire engulfed the air. It smacked the targeted persona head on. "You obviously know the answer so we'll force you to say it if it comes to that! We're going to put everything on the line to _SAVE OUR FRIEND!_ "

"Ann..."

"You _bitch_ ," Goro hissed, recovering from the attack. Explosions, firearms, yelling, and magic. Akira breathed slowly, as the tears stopped.

"Mona! Talk to Akira! Ask him who he's in love with- what they're like!" Ann looked over her shoulder, "Fox! You _should_ know about flower language! You've painted some of them before! You have to know what they mean!"

"Right!" they both affirmed.

"Pathetic, _pathetic_ , PATHETIC! You worms clinging to hope- I'll crush it all!" Akechi began his raid with Robin Hood.

"Akira, it's hard right now, but think about _him_ , think about every detail about this guy and don't leave a single thing out! You can still talk with us! Just use your flowers!" Morgana reassured, "Fox, start with the white lily!"

"Shirayuri.... Chastity- purity!" he snapped his fingers.

"Yusuke...." Akira blinked. All of them were so smart. Akechi was far from right about them. He knew they were wonderful, good people, and Yusuke.

Oh Yusuke, why didn't he say he knew about flower language? He already stole his heart and now he's devouring it. A small puff of air let him spit out a flower.

"A yellow tulip but... One sided love?"

"We already know that you idiot! We need traits!" he smacked his paw on his fluffy hair.

"Morgana!" Yusuke growled, "Stop speaking to him that way." Akira would have softly smirked at the scolding if he didn't cough out the next one.

"Sakura! Kind and gentle!" Akira spit out another one for good measure, "That meaning would be correct!"

"Two flowers, and the meaning is right. Got that Akira? Keep going! You're doing great!"

"Spit out all the flowers you want Kurusu but the person you love is blind!"

"HYAAAA!!!" Johanna revved up and knocked into the opposing persona.

"We've heard enough Akechi!" Haru summoned Milady to deal damage.

"Talk all the shit you want but it ain't gonna help!" Ryuji shouted.

"We're going to get him through this!" Ann shot rounds from her machine gun.

"Don't underestimate us! We're friends who support each other!" Futaba used her powers to give them an extra boost.

"We have a strong bond that connects us to Akira, and to Joker, the leader of the Phantom Thieves!" Morgana added with pride.

"Unlike a filthy traitor like you- We'll do anything to help the person who's tied us together!" a fire burned in Yusuke's eyes, "We will fight by his side! Always!"

"Sexy..." Akira thinks. The next one is a plant prickly and more damaging to his throat. He's clinging to consciousness by a small sliver, yet hope is burning inside of him from his friend's unconditional support.

"A... cactus? B-but that means," a light shade of pink shaded Yusuke's cheeks.

"Spit it out!" Akira did and another cactus tumbled from his throat, "I didn't mean you, I meant him!"

"S-sex and lust," he squeaked.

"So, this guy is sexy?" the feline stated bluntly, "Geez... I can't believe you. At a time like this? Really?"

"Ooohhh m-my...." Fox's voice wobbled and flushed red, "Quite a bold statement."

Akira let out a weak laugh when some of their friends whistled and cheered. The next flower tumbled from his lips while Akechi howled at their antics.

"Moving on," Yusuke coughed into a hand, "amaryllis, or shy."

"There's the second flower, that's right!" Morgana beamed.

" _Hyakunichisou_ \- a zinnia for loyalty. They’re loyal to you..." Akira's pulse was in his ears. Was he even breathing? There was a strange look in Yusuke's eyes as Morgana listed off the traits so far.

"They're too vague! It could be anyone! Akira, we need to-"

"SPEED UP!"

"What she said!" Morgana bounced on his anxious feet.

"SCUM!" Akechi bellowed. "What will it take to make you realize it's all pointless? That you'll never defeat me? So long as the hanahaki stays it will be too late! The person is so BLIND, DENSE, AND _UNCULTURED_ they'll never answer to it! Even if you say it straight to their face!"

A growl bubbled up in Akira's throat, resolve burning with his pain now.

_Thanks, Akechi, you just gave me an idea._

With his current knowledge of flowers, he hoped Yusuke could keep up. Just a bit quicker.... the flowers were closing off his airways.

"Three of them?" Yusuke was baffled.

"He's trying to go faster, h-he's barely breathing!" Morgana panicked, "Fox focus!"

"F-First, edelweiss! Courage and power... The next, a yellow chrysanthemum. Easy enough, it's the imperial symbol of Japan. Used by the emperor and-"

"FOX!"

"The peony has too many meanings! It'll take time!" his voice got louder, but it was fading away for Akira who grew paler by the second...

"A true king of the flowers. Bravery, daring, honor, and wealth! Is the person he loves rich? I-Is it Haru?" Yusuke muttered so quickly he coughed. Akira blinked as a yellow rose petal fluttered in front of his face. Did he cough that up? He could hardly remember... barely feel sensation in his throat.

“ _Sleepy..._ ” Akira couldn’t spare enough energy to shudder at the cold.

"Akira hardly cares about money unless he thinks about _you_ not having any! Did you even hear that he likes a _guy_?!" Morgana yelled.

"F-Forgive me I- Akira? AKIRA!"

His breath was ragged, uneven, and while the steams and stalks bundled into a tight ball he slipped out a final one.

" _Yusuke... I_ -" his eye lids grew heavier. The white fox mask stared at him, its dark eyes soothing.

"Keep... It.... TOGETHER!" Morgana slapped a paper fan on his head. Akira groaned from the pain as a bit of blood dribbled from his lips.

"This can't be! This contradicts everything! An orange lily- a _sayuri_ , means hatred and revenge!” Morgana was gaping at his comrades.

“I-Is it because they haven't realized for so long-," Yusuke was smacked across the face next.

"YUSUKE! YOU IDIOT!" Morgana shouted right in his face, "AN EMPEROR! _THE_ SAYURI! AKIRA FELL IN LOVE WITH _YOU!_ MORON!"

Yusuke didn't move his head. Instead he put a hand to his face nursing the aching on his cheek.

Akira forced his eyes closed, his hand curled up as hard as it could while the pulse turned flat in his ears. Oh, so vaguely, he could hear a battle happening nearby, and with all the cards on the table time ground to a halt.

"Akira."

His body was lifted and heat seeped into his side. Cradled. He was being cradled, and was that... water?

"Yusuke..." his eyes fluttered open. His last word if- if...

"Morgana is right," Akira's heart kept beating under its confines, eyes snapping wide, "I am a moron..."

Red lotus petals were tumbling out of Yusuke's lips. Pools of tears gathered at the corners and soon Akira was crying as his mouth trembled.

Passion. Compassion.

_Love._

Yusuke gripped Akira's collar and crashed their mouths together. The last of his air was gone, and their teeth clacked horribly. The tears of joy wouldn't stop and they had a few cherished seconds _kissing_ before they shoved each other away holding hands to their mouths while coughing with vigor.

Within each of their hands they held two flowers both tightly intertwined. A forget-me-not, and a yellow pansy.

_True love, success!_

A final message, the sign they were both cured. The pair looked at each other with a longing of wanting to hold each other close.

“Dai!” Morgana snapped them out of their reverie, “Feel better now?”

Akira put a hand on his chest. Lighter… it felt so much lighter than before. Yusuke _loves_ him… _kissed_ him! A smile bubbled up to the surface before it faded as Akechi fell to the team’s attacks. With his throat no longer torn up thanks to his friend’s magic he stood up with Yusuke by his side.

Joker took hold of the arm offered to him and walked forward.  It was time to face the person who threatened his life on the other side of the rapids. Fox had knocked the weapon out of their hand and stood by his side. Never to leave it again.

* * *

 

-Bonus-

Later, when things calmed down, a majority of their friends are crying as they stood in a nearby park. Yusuke and Akira are hugging with their faces buried in each other. They're both swaying a little with soft hums from each of them.

"You know, you could have just coughed up some fox gloves and that would have been quicker," Morgana points out.

He gets hit on the head for that.

Akira giggles into Yusuke’s shoulder, and hears the same from his _boyfriend_. Oh god, they’re dating now… Yusuke is his boyfriend. Akira presses his lips against his jaw at the overwhelming flutter of happiness.

“So! We celebrating the happy couple or what?” Ryuji rubs his nose with a toothy grin.

“Let’s go to Leblanc!” Futaba hopped in glee.

“We could get some stuff from the store too. We have money, right?” Makoto added.

“Don’t worry about a thing,” Haru winked, “I’ll take care of it! It’s a special occasion after all.”

“Well you dorks,” Ann laughed, “What do you think?”

“Sounds good,” Akira says without turning to look. He leans into the hug and Yusuke chuckles.

“Lovely,” he’s staring right into his eyes.

“Ugh, they’re going to be the sappiest couple,” Morgana fakes gagging as a tease. The group shares a laugh and the couple shares a smile while their faces turn pink.

**Author's Note:**

> Call me an idiot, but I can't help but feel biased about the cactus part. I just LOVE it XD
> 
> If you want to ramble or cry over this pairing (my sweet, beautiful otp...) I always love to share shukita head cannons or AUs if you want! I'm on tumblr (wolf--ink), and twitter, (len_to_ink)!


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